I am local. I think it would help greatly if LE, whether local jurisdiction or state police, did a press conference. I have not seen any kind of “official” statements from LE, other than the original missing flyers and requests for information, and rumors are flying.
I assume it is friends and family that are organizing searches tomorrow, but they claim they have to do it because PSP has no funds to do it, which is not true. It is also being claimed that the PSP have approved of this search, but again, I have seen nothing official stating this.
It is all being done on social media, and generating more and more rumors. Honestly, the locals are itching for a reason to be up in arms.
I see people asking, “Can I bring my dog on the search?”, and these are not trained SAR dogs, but family pets. The response has been “Sure, bring your dog!”, and I don’t even want to think about what problems that could cause.
We have had tremendous heat here this week, with temperatures at 95*+, and the heat index pushing the real feel temperatures well into triple digits. I doubt that most of these people have any idea what a real search involves or are adequately prepared for it.
The terrain in the area immediate to the home where she was last seen is hilly, wooded and overgrown this time of year. There is a fairly large creek within a 1/4 mile. There is also a very large quarry within about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile. Neither one of those areas should be searched by random people off the street.
As in most missing persons cases, I think LE has a pretty good idea what is going on, and of course is not obligated to make that information public, for more than one very good reason. But that won’t satisfy the public!
BUT, there are a couple other issues with the local PD. They experienced a lot of very harsh criticism when Frank Spencer was murdered. It was reported the PD knew about the threats to his life, but did not take action as Frank himself declined to pursue charges against his ex-wife. Many felt his murder could have been prevented, and I am not they are right or wrong.
Local PD where this is happening is also a small, rural department, that covers multiple townships as PD locally has been consolidated, and Hemlock Township contacted to cover other townships. While not actually Bllomsburg proper, this is a rural area not far off I-80 and covering a large, very rural area geographically.
My hope is that PSP has been called in to run this investigation. The locals assume the FBI will step in, which it won’t as a certain criteria would not to be met plus they must be asked.
I drove by the house, where Katlyn was last seen, twice yesterday, and you would not know anything out of the ordinary is going on. No LE presence, no signs of anything being any different. I will also add this- the current residents have embraced this property’s unique and somewhat gory history in a very odd way. I am not sure how much I can say about it here.
ETA: Just saw this from 2 days ago that states PSP is involved.
Katlyn Harp, 33, last seen nearly a week ago at her home near Bloomsburg
www.wnep.com
www.facebook.com
it allows for unique page addresses that allows people to use their (common) legal names.
